This study employs a mixed methods design to define ideal health journalism in Türkiye and to propose a practicable normative framework. Between May and October 2024, 29 semi-structured interviews were conducted with three key stakeholder groups (media, health, and academia), followed by a survey administered to 67 participants. The findings reveal a strong stakeholder consensus on the principles of evidence-based content, non-maleficence, transparent disclosure of conflicts of interest, and clear, accessible language. Regarding visual usage, privacy and ethical proportionality were prominent themes; at the organisational level, a health editorship system and specialized health literacy education for reporters were identified as foundational requirements. Regarding oversight, a divergence exists between media professionals’ preference for self-regulation and health professionals’ demand for public oversight, situating the debate within the freedom of expression–public interest balance. By offering a model addressing newsroom operations, educational curricula, and oversight criteria, this study argues that content quality can be strengthened in the short term, and public trust and public health outcomes in the medium term.